Jehozabad

Jehozabad is a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh has given," derived from the elements yeho, referring to the Hebrew God, and zavaḏ, meaning "to give." In the Old Testament, it appears as the name of one of the assassins of King Joash, as well as two other minor figures.

Etymology

The name Jehozabad is composed of two parts: the theophoric element yeho-, a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh, and the root zavaḏ, meaning "to give." This pattern of name formation is common in Hebrew, where the divine name is combined with a verb or noun to express a characteristic of God or an attribute of the child. Cognate forms include Yehozavad and Jozabad, found in the Hebrew Bible.

Notable Bearers

In the Old Testament, three individuals bear the name Jehozabad. The most prominent is a servant of King Joash who, along with another servant, assassinated the king in his bed. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 12:20–21. Another Jehozabad is mentioned as a Benjamite warrior who fought alongside King David. A third is a Levite gatekeeper recorded in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles.

Cultural and Religious Context

The meaning "Yahweh has given" reflects a common theme in Hebrew names, asserting the belief that children are gifts from God. Such names often served both as personal identifiers and as expressions of faith. The assassination narrative surrounding Jehozabad places him in a period of political intrigue in the kingdom of Judah, where the Davidic line faced internal threats. The name itself, however, does not carry any specific symbolic weight beyond its literal meaning.

Like many biblical names, Jehozabad belongs to a class of theophoric names that connect the individual directly to the divine, emphasizing the role of Yahweh in the lives of ancient Israelite communities. Variants across different language families preserve the same theological message.

• Meaning: "Yahweh has given"
• Origin: Hebrew
• Type: First name (male)
• Usage: English Bible, biblical contexts
• Regional Distribution: Found primarily in biblical texts; rare in modern usage